Hello!

I need to replace the camshaft cover gasket on my 1966 XKE, and having trouble finding some info, and I'm guessing someone here would know.

1. What amount of torque should I use to tighten the nuts on the camshaft cover?
2. What order should I tighten down the nuts on the camshaft cover, if any?
3. The gasket I purchased says it does not require gasket sealers or a silicone bead, should I trust this? If not, what sealer do you recommend?

Thanks for the help!

Dave

 

Use silicone..........lots and lots of silicone......
GTJOEY1314 6,000 MILES PER YEAR IN MY 66

 

Hmm, I would have said not to use too much ! I used to use a bit of Hylomar, but silicone was not in common use when I had my XJ6 Series 3. Usually the cover gasket seals OK, but oil leaks out from the securing studs, and also from the half-moon seal at the back of the cambox.

 

+1 Fraser . . . and especially about the special washers & faces of cam covers at studs and domed nuts . . . but then we never used the gaskets and relied on sparing use of Permatex 2 (the magic "blue goo") after first "truing" the mating faces. Washers & nuts referred to were sparingly goo-ed to lower faces, ensuring a faultless seal with minimum torque and no mess.

I can't recall the actual factory spec for tensioning down these cam cover nuts, but I do recall it was very light . . . however, I have seen so many warped covers that I am convinced that most who had been there previously, had no idea either.

Best wishes,

Ken

 

Dave!
I always cleaned up my washers and flattened them with a file, checked the
cover for flatness against the head.

I used a small amount of red silicone adhesive seater on both sides and
carefully the gasket and cover.

Tightened the nuts from the middle outward a small amount at a time the
nuts are tight against the cover, a little more then just touching.
Let the silicone do its job.

Walter